OF WASHINGTON. 27 



found in abundance in the spring-fed pools and marshy forest 

 ponds, and adults of these insects could, of course, be found in 

 the neighborhood. 



Although sugaring for moths was tried at other localities, 

 Kaslo was the only place where our efforts met with marked 

 success. We began sugaring about the middle of June and in 

 that month sugared three times, according to my record. Dur 

 ing the first half of July we went out about three times a week 

 and during the remainder of July and in August sugared almost 

 every evening when not prevented by rain. During the early 

 part of summer, moths were not particularly abundant at sugar, 

 and 100 or 200 specimens an evening was considered a fair 

 catch. But later in the season the number of moths steadily in 

 creased and during August, up to the time we left, 1,000 or 2,000 

 specimens could easily be taken almost every evening. On one 

 occasion we even exceeded that number and secured 2,330. 

 Species as well as numbers of individuals were well represented, 

 75 species a night being the usual average in the latter part of 

 the collecting. Although there were naturally long series of 

 some species, vet of not many did we secure a larger number of 

 specimens than we had use for. 



Our method of procedure, though probably not essentially 

 different from that of others who sugar for moths, was as follows : 

 About 7 o'clock or 7.30 in the evening we went over the route 

 and put on the " sugar," which, according to Mr. Cockle's for 

 mula, was made by heating a mixture of three pounds of sugar 

 and one pound of molasses until thoroughly dissolved, then 

 thinning with beer until of a syrupy consistence and adding a 

 small glass of rum. This was spread, by means of a good-sized 

 whitewash brush, upon stumps, fence boards and palings, tele 

 graph poles, etc., along certain roads and paths back of Kaslo, 

 usually along a circuitous route which brought us back to the 

 starting point without going twice over the same ground. About 

 9.30 we started out again, equipped with a lantern, several large 

 and small cyanide jars of good strength, a few vials of alcohol 

 and two large muslin sacks one of which contained i ^o or 200 

 empty paper pill boxes. The moths were caught on the sugar 

 by clapping the cyanide jar over them and, when partially over 

 come by the fumes, they were removed to pill boxes, each moth 

 being put, when possible, in a separate box.* Each pill box, as 

 it was filled, was then transferred to the empty muslin sack. 

 Next morning the boxes were opened, male moths removed to 

 cyanide bottles and the females confined in glass jars in order, if 

 possible, to secure eggs from them for life history studies. 



* The Microlepidoptera were not kept alive, but were collected directly 

 into chloroform killing vials and left there till our return to the hotel. 



